Can anybody tell me if there is any construction difference between the regular 18 and the 28 of about 2009 - 2011 vintage. I am not refering to the woods used or the appointments. I'm talking about things like bracing (ie shifted, 1/4, 5/16). Anything of this nature.

Can anybody tell me if there is any construction difference between the regular 18 and the 28 of about 2009 - 2011 vintage. I am not refering to the woods used or the appointments. I'm talking about things like bracing (ie shifted, 1/4, 5/16). Anything of this nature.

Up until the recent change in the D-18, the guts & structure of the standard D-28 & D-18 were the same. Woods different, of course, and the trim. The 28 has a volute or dart on the heel of the headstock whereas the 18 has none.

Up until the recent change in the D-18, the guts & structure of the standard D-28 & D-18 were the same. Woods different, of course, and the trim. The 28 has a volute or dart on the heel of the headstock whereas the 18 has none.

Both standard X position, straight braced with 5/16" bracing.

When you say "recent changes in the D-18", how recent and what changes?

Second question. Why would anyone Custom Order a D-28 ( with LOTS of very nice appointments) and yet ask for mahogany instead of just starting with a D-18 as a base? I bought this guitar as used thinking it was a D-18 only to find out from Martin that it was a D-28 and it does indead have the volute. I just went to check because I hadn't noticed one way or the other. I'm not at all upset but just curious. A rose by any other name... Couldn't tell it was a D-28 from looking at the inside because it says "Custom" where it would say D-18/D-28.

Sounds like someone wanted a D-28 in all aspects other than back & side wood, which they wanted to be mahogany. I have heard of and seen such customs before.

So you have a used Martin that says "Custom" on the neck block? And it is like a D-28 in all aspects other than back/side wood, which is mahogany?

Photos?

If it is a "custom" it is not really any given model. So why do you say it is a D-28?

Because that's what Martin tells me. I personally don't care that much. It is what it is and I like the sound. I was curious because I was also of the opinion that the two were the same. When Martin told me it was a D-28, I began to think I was wrong about the two being the same and wondered what the origional owner had in mind when ordering.

I think that some people prefer the sound of mahogany, but dislike that the Martin mahogany guitars are the plain Janes of the lineup. So occasionally Martin has made (and more often customs have been ordered) guitars with fancier appointments, but using mahogany back/side wood).

I suspect that the person the OP spoke to maybe looked at the custom spec sheet re: the D-28 reference. On that, they have to start somewhere with an existing model. It can work out to be more cost effective to do it certain ways than others. So starting with a D-28 and customizing it in the ways you mentioned (including changing wood) might have worked out to be less expensive than starting with a D-18 and adding things.

I'll give a for instance: Years ago, I ordered a 14 fret 00 size guitar in spruce over rosewood. Martin never made that. You'd think that starting with a 00-18 and changing out the mahogany back/sides to rosewood would be the way to go. But on my build sheet, the starting point was "HD-28". Because most of my design was like an HD-28 only in 00 size.